Advice on undertaking traffic in cycling lanes

[EasyPeez]

I feel there must be a thread or three about this already, but either the search function or my brain are proving substandard today as I can't find anything. Happy to be redirected rather than dig over old ground.

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on undertaking moving traffic on the inside (left) on a single-lane road using a demarcated cycle lane. I can't find anything about it in the Highway Code.

At what speed (of the traffic) does filtering become undertaking? Do you undertake, or is it just a bad idea full stop? If so do you refrain from doing so beyond a certain riding speed or once the traffic achieves a certain speed?

I appreciate common sense, road conditions etc are paramount, but just wondered generally what people's views and riding styles are around this.

I have a few such lanes on my commute, traffic being pretty constant alongside them most mornings, with vehicle speeds constantly fluctuating between 0-30mph. With a clear cycle lane ahead of me I would happily zip along at 17-19mph the whole way, but there are often drivers who seem oblivious to the lane, wing-mirrors and wheels over the line, swerving into it to avoid potholes, last minute left turns with late indication etc so for my own safety I tend to match my speed to that of the traffic and not undertake the flow unless it drops below 10mph or so, which can be pretty frustrating at times, not to mention diesel-fumey.

Am I doing the right thing or should I see the lane as mine and go at my own pace (slowing for indicating traffic, other cyclists etc obv)?

Cheers, Andy

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I choose not to trust cycle lanes as anything other than just road unless they are physically separate.

 

[DaveReading]

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on undertaking moving traffic on the inside (left) on a single-lane road using a demarcated cycle lane. I can't find anything about it in the Highway Code.

If the cycle lane is demarcated from the road by a solid white line then motor vehicles must stay out of it unless they have a reason to cross it e.g. turning into a driveway, etc. We have some of those around here and they work reasonably well.

If the demarcation is a dotted line, it's a free-for-all.

 

[glenn forger]

It's not undertaking at all. There's a lane. You're in the lane.

 

[mustang1]

I over take on left or right of vehicles, or filter or whatever it's called, at a speed that will allow me to stop if I need to.

 

[cosmicbike]

I generally ride either just inside, or just outside, the solid white line depending on the road and traffic. Filtering up the inside I try to avoid, but on occasion it feels safer to do so than go the outside. I think you have to judge each situation and adjust your riding accordingly.

 

[mjr]

I generally ride at my own pace in such lanes, keeping an eye out for incompetent motorists invading or cutting across it, but only if the lane is a decent width (over 1.5m). If it's seriously narrow, I'll usually ride as if it's not there.

 

[Seevio]

I have the luxury of only having the last few hundred metres of my commute home where I am involved in standing traffic. Passing on the right is a bit too scary for me especially when it involves a left turn at the end of the queue. The traffic flow is slow enough that I can keep up when it's moving and am able to filter left only when it stops and everything is predictable.

For most of my commute there are gert wide roads (thanks 1960s road planners) with cycle lanes, precisely where they aren't needed, or separate cycle paths. (A4174 ring road path)

 

[EasyPeez]

How about treating each vehicle as an individual situation and reacting accordingly, rather than looking for a blanket rule for 'traffic', when 'traffic' consists of a series of units all behaving in different ways?

I think that's sensible advice and what I was getting at in a less expansive and eloquent way in my reference to common sense. I wasn't aware that I'd sought a blanket rule; I thought I had enquired about people's riding styles and didn't think of the two as equating to the same thing. Do you genuinely feel that you can always assess each vehicle individually when travelling alongside a long line of vehicles whose individual and collective speed fluctuates constantly and sometimes very suddenly?

I choose not to trust cycle lanes as anything other than just road unless they are physically separate.

Meaning you never pass a car on the left when in a cycle lane?

If the cycle lane is demarcated from the road by a solid white line then motor vehicles must stay out of it unless they have a reason to cross it e.g. turning into a driveway, etc. We have some of those around here and they work reasonably well.

If the demarcation is a dotted line, it's a free-for-all.

We have none of those that I'm aware of. All on my route are dotted lines.

It's not undertaking at all. There's a lane. You're in the lane.

Unfortunately, often they are too. Frequently without cause or warning.

I over take on left or right of vehicles, or filter or whatever it's called, at a speed that will allow me to stop if I need to.

Possibly the simplest and most sensible approach, if frustrating at times. Thanks.

I generally ride at my own pace in such lanes, keeping an eye out for incompetent motorists invading or cutting across it, but only if the lane is a decent width (over 1.5m). If it's seriously narrow, I'll usually ride as if it's not there.

'Ride as if it's not there' - implying you would only pass on the right if and when traffic slows? Or do you pass on the left on a 'normal' road?

[QUOTE 4316054, member: 259"]I never undertake big vehicles on the kerb side, as it's dangerous. I'm not much bothered about my rights, it's just daft.[/QUOTE]
Yep, I'm with you there. A minibus is my cut off point for 'big'.

 

[mjr]

[QUOTE 4316054, member: 259"]I never undertake big vehicles on the kerb side, as it's dangerous. I'm not much bothered about my rights, it's just daft.[/QUOTE]
No reason for it to be dangerous as long as it's not near a junction.

 

[mjr]

'Ride as if it's not there' - implying you would only pass on the right if and when traffic slows? Or do you pass on the left on a 'normal' road?

No, a normal one-lane-each-way road's not wide enough to pass on the left safely if the other vehicle is in the same lane, so I'd pass on the right.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

"meaning you never pass a car on the left in a cycle lane"

No, meaning I treat the cycle lane as if it wasn't there, if traffic is moving slowly, I.pass it, if it is moving quickly it passes me, if we're going along at an equal pace, I'm in the line of vehicles rather than rigidly hiding in the gutter.

I have no expectation that every driver will respect a line of paint so I take nothing for granted and keep my wits about me, there is not a one size fits all rule you can hang onto.

If I'm filtering traffic coming up to a junction I am doing it on the drivers side irrespective of whether there is a cycle lane on the inside or not.

 

[ufkacbln]

Often it is due to local knowledge and / or experience

I have just this situation near the area of Paulsgrove, where about half the traffic will turn left

However I know the lights and if certain conditions prevail (Traffic rom right is moving into the junction) then I have more than enough time to get to the ASL with safety

If the lights change to allow oncoming traffic to cross then I have a 200 yard limit to reaching the ASL, this limit decreasing with the length of time that the light has been green

After that, leave the cycle lane, forget the ASL, and join the traffic flow

 

[summerdays]

As others have said, you need to get to know the traffic, and different stretches of the same road will be not necessarily be the same depending on the width, side roads and where most traffic goes at a junction.

I wouldn't bomb along at my top speed whilst filtering, and I'd alter my speed depending on how much space I had or where I knew there were side roads.

 

[hatler]

I'm decidedly uncomfortable undertaking vehicles at any time. If faced with this situation my default position is to overtake.

If the traffic is stationary or slower than me, overtake.
If it's going at my speed, primary.
If it speeds up faster than me, then drop to the left, unless I can see that it is all bunched up close enough ahead that the driver behind shouldn't get frustrated, in which case hold primary.

As I said, that's my default position and subject to change given the specific set of circumstances.